Green Planting Guide for Texas Gardeners

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When many people in other parts of the country think of Texas, they imagine a lot of dry heat, sandy soil and not many plants that give yards a lush and beautiful appearance. Texas, however, is not the desert that some people imagine it to be. When you look at homes for sale in College Station, Texas, you will see that most have lush green lawns, large trees and beautiful landscape plantings.

All this greenery looks beautiful and inviting, but also uses a lot of water and requires a lot of care. With drought conditions threatening some parts of the states and more people interested in protecting natural resources like water, homeowners are turning toward xeriscaping and using native plants more than ever.

What is Xeriscaping?

Although the term comes from the Greek word for dry, xeriscaping does not mean artfully placed rocks and a few cactus plants. You can have a lush and green garden while taking into account the various aspects of the environment in the area.

1. Plan your landscaping scheme based on rainfall amounts, hours of sun and soil properties.
2. Rework the soil with more organic matter to give it moisture retention properties.
3. Minimize grass areas.
4. Accent with hardscaping.

Recommended Plants for Texas Gardens

Since Texas is a very large state, there are different zones of planting within it. If you purchase one of the homes for sale in College Station (Texas), you should choose plants native to the area for maximum drought resistance and year-round beauty.

Trees and Shrubs

Fill in large spaces and gain some privacy with some of the larger shrubs and trees perfect for the local climate. Some of the ornamental trees to choose include Holly, Japanese Maple and Magnolias. Large shrubs include blooming azalea, crêpe myrtle and Indian Hawthorn.

Dwarf shrub varieties like azaleas, boxwood, spirea and barberry can provide additional interests and accents at the backs of gardens or near doorways and paths.

Bedding Plants and Flowers

While cactus and other succulents are excellent choices for drought-resistant Texas gardens, there are plenty of leafy, flowering plants to choose from as well.

If you have a fence or arbor over which you would like to grow a vine, you may enjoy the foliage of Boston or fig ivy or the beautiful flowers of clematis and honeysuckle.

Instead of planting large swaths of grass which require frequent mowing and plenty of water, groundcovers can provide attractive coverage with less maintenance needs. Some suited for the East Texas area include Asiatic Jasmine, golden oregano and ajuga.

Near paths, in the garden beds and containers on porch or deck, flowering plants provide the most color and interest. Some options include the famous Texas bluebonnets, daisies of many varieties, ice plant, portulacas or moss roses, vinca and zinneas.

Check each variety you choose for the proper sun conditions and low water usage before you choose to include it in your natural Texas garden.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904